Naturopathic doctors use a variety of tools and treatment methods to address all types of conditions. Naturopathic doctors commonly treat using therapies such as acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, nutritional/lifestyle counseling, botanical medicine, physical medicine, injection/intravenous therapy, and homeopathy. Some naturopathic doctors have additional training in skills or tools such as live blood cell analysis, Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) technology, therapeutic ultrasound or laser, and many others. Naturopathic doctors may also choose to have a focus on a particular condition or body system, such as skin or the endocrine system. Below is a detailed description of all the therapies used.

Before attending your first visit you will fill out an intake form for the naturopathic doctor. The intake form will ask you questions about your health, such as what are your health concerns and goals, do you have any current illnesses or diagnoses, do you take any medications or supplements, do any of your family members have any health conditions, how is your sleep, energy, stress, what does your typical diet look like, do you exercise, and some other questions.

Naturopathic doctors play an integral role in your health care as we are often the ones to look at the whole person and evaluate all aspects of a patient's health, including physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual.

You may be wondering how does someone become a naturopathic doctor? What is their training? Are they licensed? And, how is the profession regulated?

To become a naturopathic doctor, you need to graduate from an accredited naturopathic institution. But, before that, you need to complete a 3- or 4-year undergraduate degree from a recognized university.

This week is "Infertility Awareness Week"; to bring awareness to a greatly stigmatized topic I want to share some information about fertility.

Infertility is described as the inability to conceive after 1 year of trying for women under the age 35 years old or 6 months in women over 35 years of age. Roughly, 1 in 6 couples in Canada are dealing with infertility. Infertility can affect females and males. Below are 10 must-know facts about infertility.

In honour of naturopathic medicine week, I will be writing a series of entries, starting with "What is naturopathic medicine?" Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary care system that uses evidence-based research and natural treatment methods to address a variety of acute and chronic health conditions and concerns.

With beautiful spring weather comes fresh plant/tree life and their pollens which can trigger our allergy symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and sometimes skin issues. Did you know that you can prevent your seasonal allergy symptoms before they appear? Naturopathic medicine has safe and effective natural solutions for preventing allergies and their symptoms before they hit you hard. In case you haven't beat the symptoms, I can still help you manage them. Visit www.durhamnaturopath.com to book a complimentary consult to discuss how naturopathic medicine can help.